How We Operate
by necessarily-anonymous
Summary: When Naruto is away for three months, Sasuke realizes that he may just love the blond. But what happens when Naruto returns, in tow with a boyfriend that is none other than his older brother Itachi? SasuNaru NaruSasu. Light ItaNaru.
1. Chapter 1

Summary : When Naruto is away for three months, Sasuke realizes that he may just love the blonde. But what happens when Naruto returns, in tow with a boyfriend that is none other than his older brother Itachi? ItaNaru. SasuNaru NaruSasu.

How We Operate :

Chapter 1:

This, Sasuke decided was the worst day of his life. He usually wasn't one to mope and brood too much but _this_ couldn't be helped. After all today had been a special occasion.

Most of the time he never offered to pick up _anyone_ from the airport, never mind how long they'd been away, but Today was different. Today was the day he was going to finally confess to the man he loved. Whom he was _sure_ loved him too. After all he had told Sasuke exactly that every week or so for the past year , that is until he had had gone off to America. And even before leaving he had reminded Sasuke that he would always love him and when he came back, would ask him again.

But Sasuke, being the blind idiot he was, had scoffed, saying that it was just an infatuation and anyway, weren't they just best friends? Why would he want to ruin that for something that would probably just blow up in their faces? Especially when Sasuke was sure he didn't like him in _that way. _

And for the first few weeks since this man had been away Sasuke had clung to this notion like a shy child does to his mothers dress. He soon found out however that this denial got harder and harder to achieve. Somewhere between the third and fourth week Sasuke Uchiha came to conclusion that he was indeed in love with his best friend. He probably had been for the longest time but he just was too stupid to notice.

So when the three months were over and his best friend had called (after two whole months of no communication) to tell him he would be back on this particular day, he had offered to pick him up, shocking both the object of his affection and the person who usually did the job, pink haired Sakura. Consequently he had found himself standing, ridiculously nervous, at the airport waiting for his first ( and probably only) love to come out of the gates.

Sure enough he when he first caught site of the blonde hair and hideous orange and black shirt his heart had sped up and his hands had sweated but what he didn't expect was the person who followed the blonde out of the airport, a hand very conspicuously on _his_ best friends waist. And just when he thought it couldn't get any worse the person behind the blonde clearly came into view. He would have recognized the long black flowing hair, the painfully familiar face and the confident stride _anywhere. _Sasuke swore he heard the 'splat' as his heart plummeted through his stomach and spattered all over the dirty pavement..

It had taken all the strength he possessed to force himself to breath. He reminded himself that Uchiha's were _never_ weak and so he had fixed a look of pleasant surprise on his face as the dobe introduced his new boy friend to him, Sasuke's own older brother, Itachi Uchiha. Someone Naruto _knew_ he hated with a passion.

And Itachi had given him that infuriating smirk, both knowing and sly as he chided Sasuke for never introducing him to Naruto before. The fucking traitor! And what made it worse was that that particular line went for both Itachi _and_ Naruto. He had never felt so betrayed in his life.

So that was how he found himself currently driving his car ( you're still driving the Honda, otouto?), listening to how his best friend and brother had met and how they had realised how much they had in common (mainly Sasuke) and how much they had enjoyed their stay in America. Sasuke felt like throttling something, mainly the two people who sat behind.

Somewhere along the way, he came to the conclusion that he should feel more betrayed by his beloved excuse for a brother. Mostly because he was willing to give Naruto the benefit of the doubt. After all, Naruto didn't know how he felt about him. Hell, Sasuke couldn't even blame him. Itachi was hot, hotter than Sasuke at least, and though he was a complete and utter jerk, he hadn't blown off Naruto like Sasuke had.

But his _aniki_, Sasuke swore he could taste something bitter in his mouth, his _aniki_ knew exactly how Sasuke felt about Naruto. He had spoken to his brother around a month ago at one of those company parties and Itachi had wiggled out the reason why his younger brother was brooding more than usual.

Sasuke hadn't told him about _Naruto_ of course, but he had said enough for Itachi to guess who it was. And his aniki's bemused expression as his younger brother had spluttered an excuse about why he had come to personally pick the blonde up was more than self explanatory. Itachi _was_ his brother after all.

There was a sudden lull in conversation and Sasuke glanced behind, (why the hell was he in front alone, like a fucking chauffer?) barely suppressing a murderous glare. Really public displays of affection were a disgustingly disgusting affair especially when the two involved were Naruto and Itachi.. Oh god, the world really _was_ against him.

'So otouto, how have you been?' Itachi's voice was smooth as silk, teasing and indulgent all at the same time. Itachi made sure that even his tone reminded Sasuke just who was the older and better one between the two of them. Sasuke _hated_ it. oh wait he had already mentioned that, hadn't he? It was a whole moment before he could unlock his jaw.

'Fine' he muttered. He heard his brother chuckle and his hands tightened over the steering wheel.

'What's the matter Sasuke?' It was Naruto, sounding concerned, 'you don't sound too well.'

'I'm fine' Sasuke bit out. He caught his brothers eyes in the rear view mirror and saw him grin. Sasuke gulped, he had always hated that expression of his brothers. That meant Itachi was going to do something he wasn't going to like. Like the time he had stolen money from his mothers purse to buy dirty magazines and then hidden them in Sasuke's closet, where his mother was sure to find them. He still remembered the loud lilting laugh that Itachi had had when his mother had lectured him on the evils of porn and then grounded Sasuke for two months.

So Sasuke wasn't surprised really, when Itachi, making full eye contact with him, turned his head just a little and dipped it into the blonde's neck, making Naruto laugh and try to push him away. The blonde didn't try too hard though and Sasuke watched, mortified and mesmerized at the same time as Itachi sucked and nibbled on tanned flesh. It was like a cheap horror film, Sasuke thought as he tried and failed to look away from the site unfolding behind him.

The only thing that was running through his mind was how _he_ should be the one making Naruto squirm like that¸ not his fucking brother -

' 'ske! LOOK OUT!'

Sasuke woke from his daze in a start to see a bright pair of headlights coming straight for them. He swung his car to the right, barely missing the truck that sped by as he screeched to a halt on the side of the road.

For a moment there was silence as their hearts thudded back to a normal speed, then Itachi smacked him hard on the back of his head.

'Hey!' Sasuke protested, turning behind to glare at this brother. Itachi glared harder,

'if you cant fucking pay attention to the road, then don't _drive_!'

Sasuke felt screaming 'It your fault this happened anyway!' but he kept silent, knowing it wasn't any use arguing with his brother. He just would drop them both off at Itachi's apartment and then go on a long vacation to forget this disastrous day… to Tibet or something. Yeah, that would be nice. Maybe he would learn something about universal peace and truth and then he wouldn't care if his elder, im-better-than- you-in – anything – you – can- possibly – even- imagine –brother was fucking his best friend and love of his life. He felt his chest constrict painfully.. okay maybe he would still care..

He dimly heard that Naruto was talking again so he sat up and paid attention, ignoring the angry honks of the cars that past by.

'Oh don't be hard on him 'tachi' Naruto voice was deep and calming, just like always. 'He must be tired. After all, its 2 in the morning. Right Sasuke?'

Sasuke nodded, un able to speak because of the horrible pain that he felt as Naruto touched his shoulder in what used to be a comforting gesture. Now it only made Sasuke more tense. Tense and upset because that was all he was going to get. Stupid fucking friendly pats on the back. Because who in their right mind would leave someone like Itachi for him? No one, and he didn't think Naruto would either. Not after Sasuke had ridiculed his feelings like he had.

Sasuke started the car before Itachi could start grumbling again and drove ahead, this time with his eyes studiously fixed on the road, not that the two behind did anything but laugh and talk softly. Maybe that was even worse.

They reached Itachi's apartment in 15 minutes and it was with a bitter smile that he saw them bang the car door behind them, Itachi not even bothering to thank him. Naruto did however, murmuring a low thanks and giving him a small smile, but nothing else. Sasuke couldn't find it in him to react, so he just stared, numb with pain as the two people closest to him started to disappear into Itachi's unaffordable ( at least to normal people) building foyer.

Then the two men stopped, the taller Itachi whispering something into Naruto's ear. Sasuke felt like snarling at the intimate gesture but he couldn't do anything but watch helplessly and Naruto chuckled and whispered something back. Slowly the lean jeans clad blonde turned around and pushed past the revolving glass door to step back outside onto the pavement.

For a moment Sasuke thought he was hallucinating but when Naruto's familiar scarred face became clearer as he came nearer, Sasuke realised he wasn't just imagining it.

'Hey sa'ske, wanna come up?'

'Erm, what?' since when did he talking like a stuttering fool? Pull it together Uchiha!

Naruto looked a little amused and Sasuke scowled, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. Drive away, just drive away, said a desperate voice in his head. He found he couldn't. The blonde was like a magnet he couldn't pull away from.

'I'm worried about you.' Naruto said, bending so he could look at Sasuke's face through the open window, 'You look distracted and I don't think its safe for you to drive back.'

Sasuke breathed in the musky, slightly stale perfumed scent of the blonde and sighed. He couldn't believe it. Was he actually contemplating spending the night at Itachi's? he usually hated to do it even under normal circumstances, but this was even worse. He would get the guest room, while Itachi and Naruto would be in the master bedroom, on the same _bed_, god knows doing what and -

'Sasuke?'

Sasuke jumped, turning to look at Naruto who was uncharacteristically poker faced.

'I'm quite capable of driving back' he forced out, proud of himself for the slight sneer that entered his words. He would not lose in front of his brother, or Naruto. No way was the blonde going to know just how much he affected him.

And then he felt it. a strong hand on his own left one. Sasuke felt like he'd been burned. He tried to jerk his hand away from the steering wheel, but Naruto persisted, his grip firm and reassuring.

'C'mon, Itachi might not seem it, but he's worried too.'

Sasuke wanted to sneer at that statement, to deny the fact that his brother was worried about such a minor thing but then Naruto gave his hand a slight squeeze and he was lost.

He found himself muttering ' all right'.

Naruto gave him his usual wide grin and said, 'Yosh! I'll help you park.'

Sasuke's heart ached. Oh, how he had missed that smile.. If Naruto only knew how much he cared… would he leave Itachi for him? He scowled at the thought.. fat chance. Itachi would hang on to Naruto just to be cruel, for fun, like he had done on prom night when he had slept with his date, Sakura. Not that Sasuke had liked Sakura.. but Itachi hadn't known that.

He started the car and parked, listening to Naruto's idle chatter and wondering how he seemed so perky after an 18 hour flight. He sighed as he stuffed the car keys in his pocket and cursed Naruto for coming with him. If the blonde hadn't insisted on accompanying him, Sasuke would have fled back to the safety on his own house a long time ago. He had started to regret saying yes as soon as he had given in to the blondes request. How the hell was he going to handle one night with them..alone!? Even Sasuke knew it wasn't healthy.

On top of which, he couldn't believe how casual Naruto was being. His hands itched with the need to hurt something, or someone and Naruto seemed like a good target. How could he act like Itachi was just another boy friend? The blonde knew very well how Sasuke felt about his brother but yet he had still gone ahead and fucking _slept_ with him. Had it been that easy for Naruto to forget the feelings he had had for Sasuke all these years?

Oh god, and now he sounded like a girl. This really really sucked, he thought as he slammed the car door behind him and started to walk towards the apartment.

He was almost bursting with the need grab Naruto by the collar, push him into the wall and demand an explanation but he didn't..After all it was him who had been the total idiot to reject the blonde in the first place. Maybe he deserved this torture.

This revelation just made the whole situation even more depressing and he rubbed his forehead, which was starting to ache. Its only one night, he reasoned, he could make it without killing Itachi or hurting Naruto, he had to –

'Ne Sasuke, how have you been these three months?'

Sasuke glanced at his slightly shorter blonde friend, who was walking beside him with only a few inches between them, almost crowding him into the wall on the right. Sasuke frowned, it almost seemed like Naruto was afraid he was going to run away . Which he would have, Sasuke realised, if it wasn't for the fact that Naruto was with him.

'Fine,' he replied. The need to ask him _why_ was overwhelming but Sasuke forced himself to keep control . Yes he was a bastard but he still had his pride. He was not going to break down and beg Naruto to take him back.

'I-' Naruto began, sounding nervous, 'I'm sorry I didn't call you for so long.'

_All I get for not picking up my calls for two months is a fucking __**sorry**_?! Sasuke thought, incredulous in his anger. The temptation to hit something increased, but he still managed to say, 'Doesn't matter.' in the worst possible way that an Uchiha could. His Father would have been proud. Huh, take that Uzumaki.

Naruto was silent as he continued walking and Sasuke glanced a little to his left, watching the blonde closely for a reaction. He wasn't so surprised to see Naruto lips lift in a small sad smile.

'It really doesn't matter huh?' Naruto asked, his too casual tone not fooling the Uchiha next to him. He felt a prickle of guilt , knowing he had hurt the blonde but Sasuke found it easy to ignore when he hurt so much himself.

'Not really' Sasuke continued, 'I'm sure you had your… reasons.' Truthfully Sasuke hadn't meant the last word to come out like that. So full of contempt. Even he winced. If only Naruto could know that it wasn't for meant him, but himself. The stupid Uchiha who never realised that the one he loved had always been right in front of him.

There was a tense silence, the painful kind. The kind of silence when an expected apology for a hurtful remark never finds its way to a persons lips. Naruto still waited for it, but it never came and for a moment Sasuke thought that the quiet was oppressive enough to stop either of them from talking any more but he was wrong. Like he was wrong about thinking that the blonde dobe might take longer than three fucking months to get over what he proclaimed was the love of his life. He found it difficult to stop the bitterness.

Naruto walked closer, their shoulders almost touching,

'So you don't even care about what those reasons are?' his voice was soft but it didn't mean they were any less cruel.

Sasuke felt his heart _ache_. _What were they doing to each other?_ He had never known Naruto to be deliberately this hurtful. He _had_ to know what Sasuke felt. It was obvious since the moment he spotted him and Itachi at the airport. Then _why_ was the blonde doing this? Did he want this to get ugly? What was the dobe _gaining_ out of this? Satisfaction that yes, Sasuke felt terrible that he was fucking his brother?

With his anger slowly recovering from the callous question, Sasuke knew if he wanted to win this twisted game of theirs he would have to stay calm and indifferent.

It was going to be difficult, but he was going to try anyway.

'No' the Uchiha finally ground out, now painfully aware of how close Naruto was. The blue eyes were narrowed and Sasuke desperately sought for the familiar look of fondness and lust that had been directed at him so many times before. But he couldn't make out anything in the twilight. Sasuke found himself losing the battle.

'So you don't even care- ' Naruto paused, giving him a calculated stare. Both of them had stopped walking and were now face to face. Sasuke could hear his heart slowly speeding up as the blonde took a step towards him, neither pair of eyes leaving the other. Sasuke took an instinctive step backward, dismayed to find his back hitting the wall. It only served to increase the feeling of being trapped and Naruto's small grin told him that the blonde knew exactly what he was thinking.

It was almost in slow motion when Naruto leaned in, closing the distance between them in less than a second. Sasuke tensed, prepared for what could be either a fist or a kiss but instead Naruto whispered close to his right ear, in a voice that sent a slight shiver down his spine,

'So you don't even care _that I'm fucking your brother?'_

If the dobe meant to provoke him, then he had won. Before Sasuke realised it his fist lashed out and hit Naruto squarely in the face. Naruto stumbled a bit backward from the force of the blow but he didn't retaliate. He just massaged his jaw and peered at Sasuke curiously, who looked like he was just about restraining himself from hitting him again.

A triumphant grin reached Naruto's face, 'Itachi was right.' he said, 'You _do_ care.'

Sasuke's anger mushroomed at the mention of his brother's name, 'No I _don't._' he spat, enraged that he had been tricked into losing control, 'You know why dobe? Because I know that Itachi is just using you for his sick little game and by the end of it you're just going to be thrown away like the other stupid whores of his.'

Sasuke expected a punch or at least an insult for his last line but again the dobe's reaction confused him.

'Is that what you really think?' Naruto asked with a raised eye brow, his calmness serving only to infuriate the Uchiha more.

'Do you know what else I think?' he said, acid words tumbling from his lips without his consent.

Naruto gave him a little smile, but the hard look in his eyes negated it, 'What else do you think Sasuke?'

'At first I thought that Itachi was using _you_ but then I realised - ' Sasuke paused, his heightened senses aware of the cold from the wall seeping through his shirt and the fire that was directed towards him from the blonde only inches away.

'Realised what?' Naruto asked. It was a challenge to continue and Sasuke embraced it like a martyr does his noose.

Both of them knew what Sasuke was going to say next. He fleetingly wondered what kind of masochists were they to let the conversation spiral into this, but then all rational thought evaded him and the only thing that registered was that the person responsible for his turmoil was standing in front of him and the urge to hurt him was irresistible.

'Then I realised that it was _you_ who's using Itachi.' Sasuke smirked when he saw Naruto face contort with anger. 'Did you find a good replac- ' his words were cut off by a heavy blow to his face. _Finally_, said a little voice in his head as pain laced his upper body. Before he knew it his limbs were already fighting back, hungry for the contact he craved for.

Both men fell to the pavement in a flurry of kicks and punches, grunts of victory and pain indistinguishable. Sasuke felt vindicated with every fist that connected with flesh and the pain when he felt a rib crack just made it easier to ignore the agony in his heart. They continued like this for a few minutes, neither willing to back down until Sasuke felt a strong grip on his collar, pulling him away from the bleeding blonde .

Furious, he turned and raised his fist on the intruder who dared come between them. He let out a growl of victory when his fist connected with a face. And It was only when he saw the livid features of his older brother that he realised who exactly he had raised his hand on.

The grip on his collar tightened as he was hauled up to meet his brothers almost red eyes. Sasuke struggled to get out of his grip, but his brother's hold made it difficult to breath, especially since his feet were barely scraping the ground. They stared at each other for a whole second, neither saying anything before Itachi snarled,

'Apologise.'

Sasuke didn't know whether Itachi was referring to himself or Naruto but he didn't care. If Itachi thought he was going to say sorry then he could go burn himself in hell. The purpling bruise on Itachi's jaw just made Sasuke smirk, encouraging him to say the two childish words that he would regret only later on.

'Fuck. Off .'

Itachi's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

'Itachi, wait!' Naruto said, scrambling to his feet.

'Shut up.' his brother snapped at the blonde.

'Don't talk to him like that.' Sasuke shot back, realising a moment too late that he had crossed the line.

The last thing Sasuke registered before he blacked out was the blurr of his brothers ringed fist and Naruto's shout of, 'Shit!'

*********

A/N : This started out as an attempt to write a ita/naru/sasu.. unfortunately... no one wanted to share.. sigh.. . the thing is that i wasnt sure whether a threesome would make the situation any better..lol. but i can always change it. so let me know if you want to read a itasasunaru instead of just a narusasu./sasunaru

this is going to be a two shot. ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Sasuke registered was a low murmur of voices around him. He stilled, confusion clouding his mind before he recognized a familiar calming voice, too far away to hear . He struggled to place the voice; his pounding head making it difficult to concentrate on the words long enough. He sighed and gave up, letting his slowly returning senses do their job at their own pace.

He soon noticed that he was lying on a bed too soft to be his own.For a moment, panic seized him, but he soon recognized the deep baritone of his brother's voice. Sasuke relaxed automatically. Itachi. That must explain the slightly spicy scent in the room too. Itachi always did spray too much of that cologne. So, Sasuke summed up he wasn't in some strange person's house but in Itachi's home; which wasn't too bad, he supposed, considering he didn't remember what he had been doing moments before.)

_Hm_, he thought, his eyes too heavy to open just yet. He was safe. So then just why was he feeling so uneasy? His brother's voice floated by him again and he paused. _Wait a minute_…Itachi. The unease increased. He repeated the name in his head, knowing it held some clue to why he felt so disturbed. And then as he caught another snippet of garbled conversation, it hit him, like a powerful wave at the beach catching you unawares from behind. Itachi's house wasn't supposed to make him feel _safe_. The words sounded ridiculous, even to his semiconscious self. Safe was his mother, his own home, his…_Naruto_.

Now disoriented and furious that he had let the remnants of his 6 yr old self fool himself into thinking that the devils lair itself was some sort of haven; Sasuke tried remembering what had happened, ignoring the headache that was making difficult to open his eyes. Ok, let's see, he had gone to pick up Naruto from the airport…only to see him with Itachi…then; he and Naruto had had a fight... Itachi had broken it up and then… Sasuke felt his heart beat faster. Shit. Not only had Sasuke mouthed off to his older brother but he'd probably given Itachi the only bruise he had ever had on his face. _Shit._ He couldn't remember what happened after, which probably meant that his bastard brother was the reason he was currently incapacitated in bed with this god awful headache.

Now thinking that his initial instinct of panic had been pretty justified, he opened his eyes, wincing at the assault of yellow light. He struggled to get up, clutching the sheets for support. And that was when he registered something else. Pain. Tiny little sharp splinters of pain that ran up his chest and spine making him immediately crumble back into the bed.

He wasn't even able to stop a horribly vulnerable, 'Argh!' from his leaving his lips.

The sound broke the lull of the room and Sasuke winced, missing the quiet from before.

There was a scurry of movement and then Sasuke heard a worried, 'Sasuke!' from his right and a familiar weight on his shoulder, the friction from the hand making him realise he was without a shirt.

It should have been calming but it just made him feel even more vulnerable and thus, more angry. He opened his eyes, ready to snap at the blonde for being too loud but then the hand squeezed his shoulder gently

"Are you all right?" asked Naruto, his eyes wide in his concern. Sasuke felt his face heat up slightly,

"'m fine," he muttered, trying to get up again. He was glad when the blonde's firm grip helped him up. Prepared for the pain, Sasuke prided himself on the fact that he didn't make a sound as he propped himself up with some pillows. He blinked his blurry vision away and tried to smirk at the blonde who was still looking wide eyed and worried.

He looked to the right, beyond Naruto, to the window, but found it was covered with those heavy long curtains that blocked even the smallest hint of sun light. _Typical_, Sasuke thought. Itachi always was a freak.

"What time is it?" he asked, now enjoying the warmth Naruto's close proximity gave off.

" Four in the morning." Naruto said, staring at Sasuke like he was going to crumble back into the bed again. Usually such a look would have annoyed the Uchiha, but now it just made him grin a little. He was never going to take anything the dobe did for granted…_ever._ He grazed his hand over the bandages on his ribs and one behind his ear. How come he had ended up with bandages and unconscious but Naruto looked relatively unscathed except for an angry black eye?

Naruto seemed to read his mind,

"When Itachi hit you," he said, getting up and moving to the chair next to the bed, much to Sasuke disappointment, 'he let go and you hit your head on the pavement.'

_Bastard_, Sasuke thought. He was sure Itachi did it on purpose.

"He didn't do it on purpose though." Naruto said and Sasuke frowned at how quickly the blonde had come to his brother's defense. His mood began to sour. Of course…_Itachi_. Naruto was going out with _him_. Why wouldn't he come to his boyfriend's defense? Not that it fooled Sasuke. He was pretty sure that Itachi had dropped him on purpose. He must have thought it was amusing, Sasuke thought, his anger making his ribs throb in a dull ache.

But what about Naruto…? Had he decided on Itachi after all? With these questions running around his head, there was a silence where Sasuke just stared at the blonde and Naruto looked away, obviously uncomfortable. Sasuke felt the beginnings of panic bubble inside him. Naruto knew how he felt didn't he? He _had_ to know after what had happened. Did he really not love Sasuke any more? Is that why he couldn't look him in the eye? Sasuke felt the ache in chest increase; _he couldn't let the blonde_ go. Not when he was so close. He had to say something…_anything_ to make it better, to make Naruto understand. But Sasuke found his throat closing in on itself; doubt and fear making the words fumble and confuse themselves in his head. Shit, shit, shit! He had to fix this!

"Naruto-" he started, hoping that his voice didn't seem as terrified as he was.

"You're awake, otouto"

Both Sasuke and Naruto's eyes snapped towards the door on the left. Itachi walked in, holding a tray of steaming cups of tea, his long hair not tied back, but open and curled perfectly around his neck onto his right shoulder. Their reactions were like reflex; Sasuke tensed and Naruto jumped to his feet, his hand reaching for the back his head a little too quickly.

"Itachi, you're back," he said while smiling a bit too wide. He took the tray from the older Uchiha's hand and set it on the side table.

"Obviously," Itachi stated, raising an eyebrow at the nervous blonde. Sasuke rolled his eyes. The dobe was such a fool sometimes. He had nothing to feel guilty about. It's not like he and Sasuke had been doing anything wrong. Hell, they hadn't even said anything to each other!

"Right," Naruto said, a little put out, "So what did the doctor say?"

"That he just needs some painkillers and he'll be fine. His ribs are just bruised, that's all," Itachi said, glancing at Sasuke.

"That's good," Naruto said.

Itachi hn'd in response, picking up a cup of tea and sitting in the chair closest to the bed, the one where Naruto had been sitting in earlier.

The one where he should still be sitting in.

Sasuke couldn't help but feel annoyed and he saw Naruto frown a little as he was forced to sit on a couch the furthest from the bed directly opposite Sasuke.

'Have some tea' Itachi said, thrusting the drink in front of his face. It was a ceremonial tea cup, Sasuke noticed, the type with no handles to hold them. Sasuke recognized the intricate red and gold pattern as part of a very expensive set that their parent's had left to Itachi (along with most of their property), that had been passed down several Uchiha generations. Did Itachi even _understand_ the significance of them? Sasuke scowled at his older brother,

'I don't want any.'

It was amazing how much like a child he acted whenever he was with Itachi, especially in a situation like this where he couldn't run away.

'It wasn't a request.'

Sasuke's eyes widened as he took in his older brother's serene expression, no sign of his less than subtle threat on his face, other than a small smile. Sasuke spotted a light purple mark on Itachi's face and he remembered with a jolt of guilt that he had put it there.

He found he couldn't look into his brother's eyes for too long and he let out a little sigh of defeat. He took the tea and sipped it, knowing that just holding the drink wouldn't be enough for his brother if he had taken the trouble of making it.

'Good,' said Itachi in an approving voice that reminded Sasuke of his father. His scowl deepened. He hated being talked down to.

'Erm…' Naruto, had coloured slightly. 'Should I go or something?'

'No!' Sasuke said quickly, not wanting to be left alone with his brother, who frankly was a bit too calm for it to be a good sign. After all Sasuke _had _hit him, hit his boyfriend _and_ was going to try very hard and steal him away. He didn't think Itachi was not smart enough to realise that fact.

Naruto seemed to read into Sasuke's plea because he half sat back down, before he looked at Itachi. They must have had some silent communication because the blonde suddenly looked a little nervous and then headed for the door, much to Sasuke horror. He wanted to shout, 'Where are you going?! You can't leave me here with this psychopath!' but he kept silent, cringing inwardly when the blonde shut the door behind him.

_Great_, he thought, the effort of keeping himself still making his headache worse. He couldn't even _remember _the last time he'd been completely alone with his brother.

They'd always met in a public place or at one of Itachi's business parties, or when Itachi wanted to introduce to Sasuke one of his new boy/girlfriends, or rather, whores.

Not knowing how to react and not wanting to fall back on his 6 year old self to tell him what to say, Sasuke took another small sip of tea.

He wondered whether Itachi was going to beat him to pulp now or wait till he got better to do it. So when Itachi reached out to touch his face, Sasuke understandably flinched, spilling a little tea on his bare chest and cursing.

Itachi chuckled and Sasuke glared at him, turning his face away from the hand that was still reaching for him. Itachi persisted, and the grip on his jaw was enough to force the younger Uchiha to look at him.

'I'm always amazed at how much you look like me, otouto,' Itachi said, twisting Sasuke's face a little to the side as if examining an expensive vase. Now sure that the tea was a conspiracy to make sure Sasuke couldn't use any of his hands to push him away, Sasuke glared at his older brother.

'You mean how much we look like Mother.'

Itachi's hand left his face, leaving a light throb where the almost too tight hold had been.

'I suppose you're right,' he admitted, flicking his hair back, 'But now that she's no more,' he paused to study his manicured nails, 'it's most suitable to say you look like me.'

Sasuke stared, unable to understand his brother's weird logic.

'Whatever,' he muttered, wondering what Itachi really wanted to say to him. There had to be a reason why he sent Naruto away.

'I met with Madara,' Itachi finally said.

Sasuke didn't respond, not interested in what Itachi and his Uncle had discussed.

'He wants to start operations in Europe in March../'

Sasuke widened his eyes, not liking the tone of his brother. Itachi couldn't possibly be... no! They had _discussed_ this, damn it. Or rather, they had fought and shouted about this.

Itachi continued,

'As you know it's impossible for me to leave Japan. Asia is still our largest market and Madara is too busy dealing with the American market collapse to start operations in-'

Sasuke tuned out his brothers explanation. He could still vividly remember that day he and Itachi had officially fallen out. Sasuke had come back from his high school graduation and bluntly told his father that he wasn't interested in joining the family business. He was going to study chemical engineering and planned to complete his doctorate in another few years. He had already been accepted into Tokyo University, and was he was packed and ready to leave the next day.

He knew his father was going to be furious. He also knew that his father wouldn't even acknowledge the fact that he had been accepted into the most prestigious school in Japan. What his father would be most concerned about was that his youngest son was not going to be falling in line with a legacy that had been decided for him before he was born.

He had been prepared for his fathers rage, his mother's tears and his uncle's disapproval… but what he hadn't been prepared for was his brother's betrayal. The memory made him bitter.

"What are you trying to say?" Sasuke said coldly.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "It is obvious, otouto. I need you to-"

"No." Sasuke interrupted, his hands gripping the cup tightly.

"You will not even hear me out?" Itachi's voice rose in irritation.

"I have my final exams in March." Sasuke said, knowing that Itachi wouldn't care.

"It's only six months. Take a sabbatical."

It was funny how only demands and orders fell from Itachi's lips. _How could Naruto even stand this?_

"No." Sasuke didn't care how stubborn he was being. He was not going to be dragged into doing something he didn't want. He knew very well that once he was in, he was never going to be let out.

"_Sasuke_," Itachi warned, using his name to let Sasuke know he was being serious. But

Sasuke turned away, refusing to look at his brother.

"Fine," Itachi snapped, "I will inform your uncle about your decision."

"Do that." Sasuke muttered. He never liked Uncle Madara anyway. He had always had some strange hold over Itachi, even when they were kids. Sometimes he got the feeling that even his father had resented it.

"And I suppose we should also talk about Naruto?" Itachi said, obviously seething. Sasuke blinked, his heart beating faster at the mention of Naruto"s name. Itachi rolled his eyes,

"You are stupid child Sasuke."

"What?"

"I met Naruto at the airport."

"What?"

"Are you so incompetent that you cannot understand me?"

Sasuke was too busy processing his previous words to take insult. Airport...he met Naruto at the airport… that meant that...

"New York airport to be precise," Itachi continued with narrowed eyes, "He came up to me, asking whether I was 'the teme's brother'."

Sasuke stared at Itachi, a feeling of relief engulfing him as he understood the significance of those words.

"Naturally I was curious, so I got him upgraded to first class. I wanted to know more…" Itachi paused, his voice softer, "…about you."

Sasuke looked away again, uncomfortable with his brother's rare display of feeling. He knew his brother well enough to know that saying something like that wasn't easy for Itachi. His older brother seemed to ignore his reaction and continued.

"After all, it's not like my younger brother bothers to keep me updated on his life."

Sasuke tensed, not liking where this conversation was going. He wasn't going to let Itachi to get him to talk about that day. It wasn't like _he_ wanted to stop talking to Itachi. His brother had chosen it for himself the moment he had supported his father. He had done exactly the opposite of what Sasuke expected him to do, what he _needed_ him to do, as an older brother.

"So you aren't with Naruto?" Sasuke said, refusing to acknowledge his brother"s attempt to broach the topic.

Itachi narrowed his eyes,

"No," he said.

Sasuke turned to him, the feeling of relief long gone. Only anger and bitterness burned his insides.

"Whose idea was it?"

Itachi didn't hesitate, his eyes face devoid of feeling, "Mine."

Sasuke would have tried to hit him again, if it had not been for the fact that he was so badly hurt. If it had been Naruto, then he would have still forgiven him...but _Itachi?_ Who the fuck did his brother think he was getting involved in Sasuke's business?

"I just thought that maybe if you saw Naruto with me, you would realise your true-" Itachi broke off, aware that he was saying more than he should. "…I was trying to help, otouto"

"You didn't," Sasuke snapped, barely keeping his temper in check.

Itachi was silent, "I see. I have to tell you one more thing."

Sasuke glared at his brother, not liking the sudden small smile on his face. He could see right through it.

"I offered your friend a job."

Sasuke stopped breathing. "What?"

Itachi was expressionless, "As director of operations in Europe."

Sasuke suddenly felt very light headed. He could heart his heart thudding in ears as Itachi just raised an elegant eyebrow at him. Shit, shit, shit! Naruto couldn"t have accepted the job! That would mean going away from –

"He accepted it," was all Itachi said, before starting to get up.

"But – but" Sasuke was spluttering for the first time in his life, "He has no experience! You - you wouldn"t take such a big risk..."

"He was to be reporting under you, otouto," Itachi explained, looking at Sasuke like was a creature to be pitied.

"Itachi…!" Sasuke said, panicked, "Wait!"

His brother didn"t.

"Ani-san! Wait, _please_," Sasuke scrambled out of the bed, ignoring the stab of pain. His voice was strangely high pitched and he realised he was begging, but he didn"t care.

Itachi paused at the door, his eyes cold, "What is it?"

"Naruto's really taking the job?" he asked, the pain making him double up slightly.

His brother considered him, "Hn," he said.

"Then – then, let me have the job."

Itachi was silent. And Sasuke felt his heart sink. He knew what his brother wanted. It was something that he had fought against his whole life… and _now_... a flash of blonde hair and a blinking smile made his resolve waver. Maybe his father had been right. Maybe he always had been weak. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the next few seconds.

Then he forced himself to bow formally, as low as he could go his eyes on the floor.

"Ani-san please let me have the job, I beg you."

His older brother made him wait for an agonizing five seconds, and Sasuke knew he was probably taking revenge for the bruise on his face.

"Fine."

And then there was a bang of the door as Itachi left and it was only a long moment later that Sasuke straightened up, collapsing back on to the bed. He had finally given in. What he had fought against his whole life… he could almost hear his father telling him "I told you so," and Sasuke laughed hollowly. Why wouldn"t he give in? After all, Itachi always got what he wanted...

"Sasuke…?" questioned the tentative voice from the door.

Sasuke propped himself on his elbows, relief flooding over him as he saw the blonde.

"Itachi told me that you know…" the blonde shifted on his feet, looking very much like a scolded ten-year-old, "and…and I"m sorry. I was angry...I don't know what I was _thinking_. I…I was stupid and selfish" the words rushing out were clumsy and guilt ridden but Sasuke didn"t stop him.

"I understand if you don't forgive me right now…but before I left you were so sure that you didn't want me…" Sasuke heart ached at the pain in the blond's expression, "I just wanted to know if you _cared_." Naruto"s voice trembled and Sasuke averted his eyes for a moment, not wanting to see the blonde so undone.

Yes, he was mad at the blonde for doing something so bloody _stupid_, but then again, he was also much more relieved that Naruto stilled loved him. To care about anything else right now just made his head ache worse. Thinking he'd better stop usuratonkachi before tears made their appearance, he sighed, interrupting the mumbling blonde.

"Apology accepted, dobe."

There was a pause.

"Really?"

The surprise and hope in that voice made Sasuke smirk.

"Hn," he said, feeling the bitterness that the meeting with Itachi had left fading with each step Naruto took towards him.

"You"re not going to hit me or anything, right?" Naruto was at the step of the bed. His legs grazing against Sasuke's which dangled over the side.

Sasuke watched, mesmerized, as the blond hovered over him, "I already have, remember?"

Blue eyes crinkled, "Yeah..."

Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes, seeing the guilt and insecurity that he knew too well clouding over. Naruto was really a blond sometimes.

"Idiot," he said, and reached out a hand to grab Naruto's collar. He pulled the blonde down towards him, unmindful that Naruto barely shot out his hands to stop himself from falling on him. Their lips were now centimeters apart, and Sasuke smirked at the now surprised and lust glazed eyes.

"You haven't apologised properly," Sasuke whispered into his ear. Naruto grinned at him.

"Teme" he muttered back.

And then they were kissing. Deep and passionate.

It wasn't hurried or violent, like they usually were together, but slow and almost tentative. As if both of them were apologizing in their own way for the turmoil they had caused each other the past few months.

Their breath was stale and far from pleasant, but Sasuke found he couldn"t care less. He probed further into that mouth he so badly craved for and Naruto moaned, granting him access. Sasuke knew what he had given up to Itachi was nothing compared to what he had gained. Naruto was worth it. He _always_ would be.

The bed sunk as Naruto climbed onto it and Sasuke groaned as felt a tongue dip into the hollow of his neck. He felt the blonde grin against his skin,

"Hey, teme..."

"Shut up," Sasuke muttered, not wanting to talk any more. He just wanted to _feel_ Naruto, inside and out and around him. So he tightened his grip on the blonde hair and ran his hand underneath the hideous orange shirt, earning a gasp from the man above him.

"Sasuk – nngh." The Uchiha"s fingers found their target and he twisted a nipple a little harshly, not liking that Naruto was still trying to say something. He found the soft, slightly chapped lips again and thrust his tongue in, determined to shut the dobe up.

Naruto melted into the kiss and Sasuke tried to not smirk, thinking if kissing him could make the dobe so compliant, he would have done it a long time ago.

He was about to switch their positions when he felt Naruto"s hand slide up his stomach. It wasn"t so much the action itself, but the sharp pain which followed that bothered Sasuke.

"Gnngh" he grunted, pulling away from the blonde. Naruto drew back in surprise.

"Shit! Are you okay teme?"

Sasuke winced, fingering the bandages on his ribs. He had totally forgotten that he was hurt. Crap.

"This was what I was trying to tell you before" Naruto said, sounding guilty and flustered at the same time, "But you, being the stubborn bastard that you are, wouldn't listen."

"It"s just a few bruises" Sasuke snapped, not liking that Naruto was now almost completely off him. "We can do it anyway."

"We should wait." Naruto said, sounding depressed.

"What? Don"t be stupid…" Sasuke said, trying to think of a position that wouldn"t be too much strain on him. The drugs in his system must have had some effect on his system because he came up with nothing. But then the blonde grinned at him and Sasuke raised an eyebrow, knowing that he had thought of something.

"Dobe what-" Sasuke let out a hiss of pleasure as Naruto suddenly bent over him again, kissing his bandaged ribs gently.

"Shh" Naruto said, nipping and sucking his way downward until he reached Sasuke"s navel.

The raven looked down at the blonde, the kiss swollen lips hovering over his now bulging pants. The promise that mouth held made his head swim. If Naruto was going to do something, then he"d better do it _now_, before he forced that blonde head down. The blonde owed him, damn it.

Naruto seemed to read his mind because he moved in slow motion as he unbuckled the belt, pulling down Sasuke"s pants. The Uchiha stared into those eyes that were sparkling with mischief and frowned,

"Dobe…"

Naruto didn"t answer and Sasuke groaned as his cock met the warm air, made hotter by the blond's heavy breathing.

He gasped as he felt a tongue reach out and swirl around his head. Never in a thousand wet dreams did he imagine it feeling so good. The torturous tongue lapped at his dick teasingly and Sasuke couldn't help but try and reach for the blonde head. He found his hands being forced onto the bed and the hot mouth nipped him gently in warning. Too lost to be annoyed, Sasuke moaned loudly as the wet heat engulfed him without warning.

The blonde started bobbing up and down, his eyes rolling up to meet Sasuke"s. The raven clutched at the sheets, the image of his cock disappearing into that mouth was too much for him. Ribbons of pleasure swirled around his lower stomach and spine, warning him that he was close. Distantly he realised that he should be lasting much longer than he was, but then he felt Naruto moan, the tremors wiping all sanity from his mind.

A white hot pleasure ripped through him and he managed a strangled, "…'ruto!" as he came, the feeling heightened by the slick muscle that continued to suckle and lick.

It was only a strong hand stopped his hips from rising too far from the bed, the slight sting from his ribs blurring the lines between pleasure and pain. It turned him on to think that Naruto could inflict as much pleasure as he could pain at that moment.

When the blond finally moved up, Sasuke was panting and spent. His muscles felt soft and heavy at the same and the blonde could have flipped him around and fucked him and the raven wouldn't have stopped him. Hell, he didn't think he _could_ have, but then Naruto just grinned at him, saying nothing and everything at the same time.

Sasuke groaned as he saw a little bit of his come on Naruto's luscious lower lip. He forced himself off the tangled silk sheets, and his lips were met half way there, bruised by a need even more urgent than his own.

Sasuke didn't care that he could taste his own come in the blond's mouth. All he knew was the he finally had Naruto with him, the way it should be. His hands gripped Naruto"s ass, relishing the little sounds the blonde made as he found himself pushed onto the bed again.

It was an almost whine that escaped younger Uchiha when Naruto pulled away, looking down at him in an expression too serious to suit him.

"What?" panted Sasuke, slightly concerned.

"You didn't have to take the job." Naruto said quietly.

Sasuke was silent for a whole moment. Then he smirked, hooking an arm around the blond's neck, pulling him back down.

"I did," was all he said before he fused their back lips back together.

**

Beta'd by the lovely Chalic of Blood and WordslaveWriter. I know, I'm spoiled, I had two beta's on this one..*grin*


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